Install Windows 7 VGA driver on Dell GX270

This is a short guide on solving the problem when trying to install the VGA driver on a Dell GX270 when Windows 7 is installed.

GX270 VGA Driver Instructions

Step 1

Install Windows 7 on the Dell GX270 computer. (Refer to my other articles for using ImageX and WinPE 3.0 boot environment for capturing and applying images).

Step 2

Once you have Windows 7 installed, at least for me, Windows Updates didn’t pick up the VGA driver automatically; leaving you with a very large resolution which is unusable.

Step 3

Download the Intel 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller driver (R126990.EXE). The drivers on Dell’s website do not work for Windows Vista or Windows 7.

Step 4

Once you have the R126990.EXE downloaded, you will need to extract the contents of the EXE to a folder. I suggest using 7-zip or Winrar.

Step 5

Now that you have the driver extracted you are going to have to install the driver manually in compatibility mode. Go into the folder you just extracted and right click on the setup.exe and go to properties and then the compatibility mode tab. You will want to enable compatibility mode for Windows Service Pack 3 and also select “Run as Administrator.”

Step 6

Click Apply, then click OK. Now run the setup.exe as you normally would and it shouldn’t complain about OS not being compatible.

Hello, Im trying to install Windows 7 on my dell optiplex gx270, but getting this error.. alert! cover was open recently… press f1, or f2 for set up… i can’t go any further.. Can you guys\ladies help me on this?

🙂 Understood. I have done this install hundreds of times on many GX270’s. Also, as you can see in the comments below it works. Did you run in compatibility mode and also run as administrator? Do you have an anti-virus installed?

Im sorry if I offended you. My words were not meant to be taken as im calling you a fraud. I know this method works its just not working for me. Which is why I posted so we can figure it out. I am not running in compatability mode. In addition the file above Is not a .zip its a direct exe so I hit RUN right from the browser. I am running IE 10 if that helps.

No problem 🙂 Right click on the file in our post and save it somewhere. Maybe that is the issue. You want to save it to your desktop, and then you can right click on it, go to properties and check both of the options as shown in Step 5. I think that is the issue here.

Yup as expected everything worked out and I now have the correct screen resolution. Thank you for your help. The main problem here was in fact the file being run directly instead of saved where it’s properties could be set up and then ran. I hope the will help anyone else using the latest technology to install something this old. Thanks again.

I don’t remember off the top of my head, its been a couple years since I worked with the GX270’s. But I think it did support OpenGL 1.0. If not, your x300 would definitely be a better option 🙂 This really was a work around to at least make the 270 usable in Windows 7.

Posted by GabrielApril 8, 2013

Yes the x300 specs include full OpenGL support. It has already been ordered and is on its way. I was able to find an OpenGL download 1.1 but it comes with no EXE file :/ I think it really just boils down to me needing to be patient and wait.

Posted by GabrielApril 8, 2013

I just ran this as an admin. It worked not but I am being told my operating system is not supported. This driver is for Windows XP not for Windows 7.

EDIT: I have done so now and the error went away for not being compatible. It says it is now installing. I will report back as to weather this fixes my resolution problem. Will this also support OpenGL?

So I perfectly followed your instructions, and the incompatibility went away. Now my problem is, it says that the minimum system requirement is not met. I just installed win 7, but before that I was running xp serv pack 3. Help!

The link you gave above for the downloading of that software doesn’t works… Can you please upload it on mediafire Please ?? I download a driver from google but it shows me some error while installation as the above process so please help me

Thank you. Spent hours downloading drivers from Dell with no luck. I too had a screen so big I couldn’t get to the Apply and OK buttons, but by temporarily moving the Tool Bar to the right side of the screen I could just manage to click them.